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Vol. 18 (2026)

Wafer-Scaled III-Nitrides Nanowire Photocathodes Enabled by Synergistic Dual-Electron Extraction for Efficient Solar-to-Hydrogen Conversion

https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-026-02186-9
Xudong Yang
iGaN Laboratory, School of Microelectronics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, Anhui, People’s Republic of China
Yuying Liu
National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, People’s Republic of China
Wei Chen
iGaN Laboratory, School of Microelectronics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, Anhui, People’s Republic of China
Tianle Zhang
Department of Chemical Physics, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Science at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, People’s Republic of China
Wengang Gu
iGaN Laboratory, School of Microelectronics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, Anhui, People’s Republic of China
Xin Liu
iGaN Laboratory, School of Microelectronics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, Anhui, People’s Republic of China
Yuanmin Luo
iGaN Laboratory, School of Microelectronics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, Anhui, People’s Republic of China
Zhixiang Gao
iGaN Laboratory, School of Microelectronics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, Anhui, People’s Republic of China
Yang Li
iGaN Laboratory, School of Microelectronics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, Anhui, People’s Republic of China
Menglong Wang
iGaN Laboratory, School of Microelectronics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, Anhui, People’s Republic of China
Weiyi Wang
Department of Chemical Physics, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Science at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, People’s Republic of China
Ran Long
National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, People’s Republic of China
Wei Hu
Department of Chemical Physics, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Science at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, People’s Republic of China
Jiajie Xu
Microbial Development and Metabolic Engineering Laboratory, School of Marine Science, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, People’s Republic of China
Haiding Sun
iGaN Laboratory, School of Microelectronics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, Anhui, People’s Republic of China

Corresponding Author: Haiding Sun

haiding@ustc.edu.cn

Nano-Micro Letters, Vol. 18 (2026), Article Number: 337

Abstract

Efficient, durable, and scalable photocathodes are indispensable for large-scale solar-to-hydrogen production. Notably, single-junction semiconductor photocathodes are attractive due to their structural simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and mature fabrication, yet they usually exhibit intrinsically poor carrier extraction efficiency. To address this challenge, we propose a synergistic “dual-electron extraction” strategy that fully unleashes the hydrogen evolution potential of single-junction p-InGaN nanowires. Remarkably, the optimized p-InGaN photocathode achieves a photocurrent density of −3.40 mA cm−2 at 0 V vs. RHE—representing a 37.8-fold enhancement over the pristine device—with an onset potential of 0.82 V vs. RHE, while sustaining stable hydrogen generation for over 300 h without additional protective layers. Specifically, an electron-blocking layer was incorporated within p‑InGaN nanowires to suppress electron backflow toward the substrate and promote transport to the nanowire/electrolyte interface. Furthermore, surface anion doping in InGaN nanowires significantly enhances the band bending of InGaN, which promotes interfacial electron transfer while simultaneously optimizing hydrogen adsorption energy, thereby accelerating the hydrogen evolution reaction rate. The proposed synergistic dual-electron extraction strategy markedly improves the electron utilization efficiency of single-junction InGaN nanowires, providing a novel pathway to address the intrinsic limitations of wafer-scale III-V nitride photoelectrodes.


Highlights:
1 A scalable internal–external synergistic dual-electron extraction strategy is proposed, enabling rapid bulk-surface-electrolyte electron transport in single-junction p-InGaN nanowire for highly efficient photoelectrochemical hydrogen evolution.
2 Optimized single-junction p-InGaN photoelectrode exhibits a superior onset potential of 0.82 V vs. RHE and maintains continuous hydrogen generation for more than 300 h without protective coatings.
3 This material platform and optimization strategy possess wafer-scale scalability and manufacturing compatibility, providing new technical insights for photoelectrochemical hydrogen production with industrial application value.

Keywords

Photoelectrochemistry Wafer-scale water splitting InGaN nanowires Internal–external synergy Dual-electron extraction
Yang, Xudong, Yuying Liu, Wei Chen, Tianle Zhang, Wengang Gu, Xin Liu, Yuanmin Luo, Zhixiang Gao, Yang Li, Menglong Wang, Weiyi Wang, Ran Long, Wei Hu, Jiajie Xu, and Haiding Sun. 2026. “Wafer-Scaled III-Nitrides Nanowire Photocathodes Enabled by Synergistic Dual-Electron Extraction for Efficient Solar-to-Hydrogen Conversion”. Nano-Micro Letters 18 (April):337. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-026-02186-9.
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